Whether you’re someone who’s a fan of a home cinema or a minimalist, tiny home with minimal furnishing, we’re almost confident that you may be considering a projector for your home. But the thought of bulky projectors or washed-out visuals just sounds as if a projector isn’t worth the hassle to own.
For all lifestyle needs, everything that the Samsung The Freestyle claims to be just sound and look like a dream.
Even though this is Samsung’s first portable projector, The Freestyle is already unlike many others. It has a Point and Play operation system (180-degree dynamic angle), Smart Entertainment-Enjoy Samsung Smart TV features and a 360 sound design that lets it play audio in an ambient mode.
After a few weeks of playing with it, here’s our review of the unique Samsung The Freestyle projector and whether it’s an entertainment unit worth getting.
Check out our video review here:
Specifications: Samsung The Freestyle Projector
- Lamp: LED - Fixed focal length lens, Powered focus; 550 LED lumens
- Picture: Crystal Processor; 1080p; HDR, Auto Game Mode; Pur Color
- Keystone: Digital; Horizontal and Vertical
- Design: 180 Degree Cradle Stand; White Swivel Stand
- Audio: 5W Mono, 360 Degree Speaker; Adaptive Sound
- Connectivity: 1 HDMI (Micro) Connection3; Audio Return Ch. Support (via HDMI port); eARC; WiFi 5; Bluetooth (BT5.2)
- Power: 50 Watts 100V - 240V
Set Up
One of our favourite parts to using The Freestyle Projector is the fact that we don’t need to ever calibrate focus using any winding nob. Instead, The Freestyle comes with Auto Keystoning and autofocus.
First thing’s first; this little guy has a 180-degree swivel action going on, meaning that you don’t need a projector stand in order to set it up at all. Set it down on any surface and adjust the angle to get the most comfortable viewing experience with 0 effort.
All you have to do is just point the main lens at any wall or concrete. You can even choose to point it at any angle and it will self-adjust with the right orientation and focus. Yes, The Freestyle comes complete with Auto-Levelling; instantaneous alignment that’ll go parallel when displaying on the wall.
To start using it, just point the lens at any surface at any angle and it will adjust to give you the right orientation and focus. Any hassle you fear with a projector is gone.
Do note that to power it up, you need to hook it up via USB C for power. Now, you can plug it into a wall, but since it's a portable device, you can even plug it into a power bank to get true portability.
Other features we like, though not unique, is the fact that there’s Bluetooth connectivity, letting you easily pair it to your phone, laptop, speaker and such.
Design
At an obvious first glance, The Freestyle just doesn’t look like any other projectors out there, and we’re confident that Samsung has intended for it to be this way.
Now then, this is a portable projector but offers more than what you think it’s capable of.
The Freestyle is as big as a decently-sized portable Bluetooth speaker, so you can easily carry this around, throw it in your backpack and set it up anywhere. It weighs only about 0.8kg which is lighter than your typical ultrabook/laptop. With that said, you can easily bring it around with you everywhere.
On the projector are a few touch buttons for operation: power, volume and a pairing button to quickly connect to your Samsung mobile device for a seamless connection.
Meanwhile, on the side of the projector is a USB Type C port, Micro HDMI port & a microphone toggle switch.
Audio
We have been hinting at how this tiny beast isn’t what it seems.
That’s because we found The Freestyle to have quite a well built audio system. It’s fitted with 5W 360 Dolby sound that definitely sounds loud and ample enough. While audio is best projected by another standalone audio system, it’s nice to know that The Freestyle can go solo for your entertainment needs.
The Freestyle also has an output section at its sides which are perfect for add-on accessories in the future.
And for those who want to control the projector from afar, there’s a remote control for the speaker with every necessary command you’d need on there such as volume and voice assistant button to control Bixby.
Operating System + Navigation
As mentioned earlier, this is a smart projector. You can expect the likes of smart features such as built in-app support, the ability to download additional apps and voice recognition with built-in Bixby support.
Setting up and navigating is pretty easy, as you’re able to set quick shortcuts for Netflix, YouTube, Amazon Prime and more. You also get far-field voice recognition microphones to easily toggle and control the projector with your voice from anywhere in the room.
We’ve found the interface, Tizen OS, to be quite nice. It’s pleasant and straightforward to navigate around. A minor gripe we have is that sometimes the navigation just seems sluggish. One would’ve expected a tech pioneer to nail the OS even if it’s a new product under their belt.
Performance - Picture Quality
On to the most important part of this review: the experience and performance.
With The Freestyle, we’re looking at a 100” 1080p display, made to display UHD quality with the Dynamic Crystal Technology that it has.
We will straight up say that visuals look beautiful on this projector, no doubt.
Are you a fan of home cinema or night light shows? You’ll like The Freestyle. The colours are nice and punchy with great contrast levels. It can also achieve immersive pictures all the way up to 100” without colours looking washed out or blurred.
We even get HDR10 & HLG support on The Freestyle, with a contrast ratio of 100,000:1. So the dynamic range is great on paper.
Samsung said that the throw distance should be about 8.8 feet to get a size of 100”, due to limited spacing, we were able to experience a good throw distance at about 6.6 feet away, which would mean about a size of 75”. That’s still pretty massive.
Good contrast was achieved even when playing games (thanks to the Auto Game Mode), though this is also due to the brightness levels that we experienced which isn’t insane or anything. You get a modest 550 Lumens which is more than enough for relatively bright surroundings. But again, to get the best possible experience you want, use the projector in darkness.
More Features
Additionally, you can achieve a mini light show with the Ambient section, letting you choose a bunch of cool effects and features from it. Either use it as a night light or a decorative screensaver; just set an ambience for whatever room you’re in.
For us, we tried the Ambient mode with this sunset scene. It gave off a soothing vibe and sets a calm mood throughout the room. We can imagine this being useful if you’re bored of your actual scenery or blank wall.
Another fun thing you can do with The Freestyle is if you want to use it as a sort of smart Bluetooth speaker + ambient night light. All you have to do is slap on the lens cap and create an ambience accordingly. At least this way, there’s a fun dual purpose to the lens cap.
Other features include being able to mirror off of your Samsung TV, which is nice when you want to watch a movie with a larger group of friends. You can even attempt to watch the same thing in two different rooms together for a watch party.
We’ve already pointed this out, but another promising exciting feature is the fact that there are parts of The Freestyle’s output to allow for modular parts to be connected, like a battery base, socket adapter, case and more. A bonus point? You can even change the skin for The Freestyle.
Conclusion
- Pros: Has auto-calibration features; easy to use; good visuals; nice design & audio capability; very portable size (can live off a power bank)
- Cons: The price can be difficult to justify; stable hold positioning may require support for certain angles; no integrated battery
- Who is it for? Home entertainment fans, casual technology/gadget enthusiasts, console gamers and minimalist/small homeowners.
To conclude, The Freestyle hits the most important factors when you want to consider a lifestyle projector: massive screen, beautiful visuals and audio. It also makes it easy for anyone to use and own due to its Auto Keystoning and autofocus function.
We can see Samsung setting the standard for lifestyle projectors with The Freestyle. Even if you don’t need a dedicated projector for say work purposes, The Freestyle is a nice addition to your home’s entertainment system. It can also pass for a really cool tabletop device you can carry anywhere with you to set up.
The only quip we have with it? Samsung’s The Freestyle projector will set you back with a price of RM4,999.
So… not a pleasant number to look at. Not to mention, when we think “portable”, we expect “integrated battery”, which The Freestyle doesn’t have. It has to live off another power source when being outdoors such as a power bank. Plus, something about the cradle keeps letting the lens droop down slightly.
But The Freestyle is, honestly speaking, a piece of promising equipment in our eyes that might just make the cut as a timeless entertainment unit in your home be it for your personal needs, work or just gaming. And frankly speaking, one doesn’t always shift an actual home entertainment unit everywhere, every day.
When it comes to being part of a home entertainment unit, The Freestyle offers at least satisfactory picture and audio quality, making it a worthy investment for casual technology lovers.
Buy: Samsung The Freestyle Projector
Samsung The Freestyle is currently available for pre-order from 7 - 31 March 2022. Malaysians who pre-order The Freestyle until then are eligible to grab free gifts worth up to RM1,496.
The gifts include The Freestyle Case (worth RM299), The Freestyle Skin (worth RM199) and a free RM998 e-voucher to redeem a The Freestyle Battery (worth RM999).
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